James Wagoner is President of Advocates for Youth, a leading national organization on adolescent reproductive and sexual health. A respected public policy and reproductive health expert, Mr. Wagoner previously served as executive vice president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. Prior to that, Mr. Wagoner served as chief of staff to Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum (D-OH) and on the Senate Budget and Human Resources Committees.
In the years ahead, Advocates will continue to be a dynamic leader in promoting the rights of youth to information, education, and services. I am deeply committed to our current, innovative work expanding adolescent access to contraception domestically and internationally; fighting homophobia in schools and communities across the United States; and using our policy work on the Hill and with the administration to advance the goals of our state and local partners.
On Tuesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will vote to eliminate a program based on evidence in favor of one with no evidence of effectiveness. Earmarks are ok, as long as they are ideological.
Why is there a $250 million “bonus” for failed abstinence-only programs kept in the health reform bill? Was this a chit to be traded for the votes of Democrats like Stupak?
Research released this week on an “abstinence-only” program for young, urban African American preteens found success in delaying sex for up to 24 months, but does not support the failed ab-only-until-marriage programs of the Bush era.
‘Twas the night before Conference, when all through the House…Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The amendments were hung by the manager’s chair, In hope that the votes soon would be there.
Important gains for sexual health realized in this week’s appropriations bill can only be sustained through the constant vigilance of the advocacy community.
Progress on health reform legislation forces us to mobilize to prevent passage of the Stupak Amendment. But our next step must be to take stock of why and how we got here in the first place.
The time has come for the Democrats to correct course and stop government funding of ineffective abstinence-only programs. How can congressional leaders continue to ignore the public health consensus about science-based programs?
Today, the Democratic controlled Labor HHS Appropriations conference committee report includes the full increase requested by President Bush for abstinence-only programs. Let’s call that what it is: a stunning disgrace.
When it comes to abstinence-only-until-marriage, The Republican presidential candidates are head-in-the-sand true believers, convoluted converts or, silent; Democrats are largely silent on the issue.
